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Bionic Commando Podcast

I myself almost couldn’t believe when the Bionic Commando franchise was resurrected. I’m sure it was a shock to many, given the last game was made in the days of Gameboy Color, and most of the titles in the series were for early generation consoles. If you’re sitting there scratching your head wondering why such a relative dinosaur of a franchise was dug back up for a makeover, head over to the Bionic Commando website and check out the first podcast. This edition is from producer Ben Judd who discusses exactly why this classic series is being brought back.

Kane & Lynch Gone Gold

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of all those triple-A titles going gold these days. Yesterday it was Unreal Tournament 3, today it’s Kane & Lynch, another highly anticipated shooter. The game will be in stores on November 14 on the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Godzilla Coming To The US

Don’t worry, he’s going to leave the West Coast alone. Between wildfires and earthquakes, even he knows they’ve had enough. Two games featuring that legendary lizard are coming to consoles and handhelds this holiday season. The Nintendo DS will be getting ‘Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash’ and ‘Godzilla Unleashed’ is coming to the Wii and PS2. Both games put you in control of the Japanese monster legend in an epic battle to save the Earth from complete destruction (by wreaking a little havoc of your own of course). The games boast a non-linear storyline where your actions in battle affect the outcome of events. The Wii version takes advantage of motion-sensing technology, while the PS2 version has a slightly different monster roster. The DS version allows for two player cooperative action.

Unreal Tournament 3 Gone Gold

Finally, after weeks of speculation, Midway has finally revealed that PC version of Unreal Tournament 3 has gone gold and will be in shops on November 19. Midway announced the news today, but didn’t mention anything about the PS3 version. Earlier this month they said that they’re not counting on a release this year, but developer Epic on the other hand, is still “pushing for a 2007 release”. We’ll see what happens, one thing is sure though; the PC frag-fest begins on November 19.

Wolfenstein Coming To Big Screen

We have yet another video game movie coming to us, this time courtesy of director Roger Avary who’s worked on the upcoming Beowulf as well as Pulp Fiction and a few other films. He is reportedly a big fan of the Wolfenstein series, having played the original Castle Wolfenstein and the revolutionary Wolfenstein 3d. The script is almost finished and is being described as a ‘big popcorn adventure movie’. Given the plot and content of Return to Castle Wolfenstein that sounds like a fairly adequate description, especially since the director also makes mention of the horror aspect of the game. My best bet for anticipation of the movie is this: take one part Saving Private Ryan (or World War II film of your choice); add half a cup Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark or Last Crusade, take your pick) and add a pinch of horror and bake for several hours. Garnish with an unnecessary romance and serve.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Delayed

Today is a sad day for PS3 owners as the newest Metal Gear Solid has been pushed back until second quarter 2008. Originally scheduled to be released this winter, the game has been delayed for reasons of ‘further improvement’. Not that anyone delays a game for any other reason really. With the holiday season coming and all the major consoles gearing up for frenzied shopping, this can’t help the PS3s chances for coming out on top this Christmas. Since few of the higher quality games on the PS3 are exclusives, Konami’s decision is likely not a favored one in the Sony offices.

Smash Bros. Dojo: Classic Mode

While Smash Bros. Melee will obviously be best when played with friends or online, there’ll be those times when you’ve got nobody around, or maybe you just want to hone your skills. Enter the ‘Classic’ mode. As you might expect, this is a relatively straightforward game type. Pick your character and difficulty level and get ready for some brawlin’. Each stage will have you fighting a different character chosen at random. The stages are all based on different worlds, so while on stage one you might see two or three different levels from the Legend of Zelda, you won’t see levels from any other games. Level three will be based on Pokemon. To keep it interesting, levels will sometimes have varying game types and rules: team battles, giant battles, metal battles and others will have you on the edge of your seat. As you play this mode you’ll also earn coins which can be used somewhere, although apparently not to shop for new stages, characters, background songs or the usual things you’d expect them to get you.

Top Secret Blizard MMO Announced

Blizzard has decided that they’re not happy with dominating PC gaming as much as they already do with World of Warcraft, as the employment section of their website lists postings for workers on a next-gen MMO. There aren’t any hints as to what the game will actually be, but its likely that it’ll be set in one of Blizzard’s other two franchises: Starcraft and Diablo.

The case for Starcraft: First of all there seemed to have been far more outcry for a new Starcraft game than for a new Diablo game. You also have three different factions set up, each with unique abilities and overall styles. Then there’s various unit types which could easily translate into classes: Protoss could attain higher levels of psychic mastery, Terrans get promotions or extra training and Zerg grow or change into various other biological engines of destruction. The game could cater to both action fanatics and RTS fans alike. This worked in Savage fairly well. One player takes over tactical command of a battlefield, issuing orders and allocating resources where they’re needed, while the other players attempt to destroy the enemy. With many different battlefields and some AI-controlled supporting infantry troops there’d be quite some depth and strategy to this approach.  World of Warcraft also followed fairly closely on the heels of Warcraft III, so with Starcraft 2 coming out soon they might be following an established plan of success.

The case for Diablo: It’s been a long time since Diablo 2 came out and there have to be some gamers out there somewhere hoping for a new title in the series.  The online play was very popular and many gamers used Ebay as a real-world marketplace, selling and buying rare items. There’s a whole plethora of lore and legend in the history of the Diablo universe where it could take place. The game could function in a similar way to World of Warcraft, with the sides of Heaven and Hell warring for supremacy with humanity caught in between. There could even be the possibility of players being able to create Angelic or Demonic characters once they reached a certain level with their mortal characters. Throw in a number of already established classes and character types as well as the simple fact that fantasy MMOs generally do better than Sci-fi ones and you’ve got a decent argument for the Lord of Terror as well.

There is always the possibility that they could be creating a completely new IP, but given the success of WoW, it’s infinitely more likely they’ll be putting their eggs into a basket they know is already a success.

Orcs & Elves Bonus Stylus

Some copies of the upcoming DS dungeon crawler ‘Orcs & Elves’ will be bundled with some extra limited edition swag. Luckily this isn’t something you have to pre-order. Just be one of the people who buys their copy of the game early and you’ll be rewarded with an ergonomically designed stylus that matches the wand your character uses in the game. It’s also fully approved by Nintendo, so there’s no worries about voiding a warranty if you scratch your screen with it. This is only available at select retailers however, so make sure you’re shopping at the right place.

Five Flaws In the Rating System

Ever since the Manhunt 2 incident, questions and concerns relating to the gaming industry’s rating system have been at an all time high. It is now the release day of the controversial game, and chances are, after the game finally launches, parents, and Fox News, will once again be asking the question: does the rating system working as well as it should be? The ESRB isn’t by any means doing a bad job, but unfortunately, the answer is still no. Even though it’s ultimately up to the parents to ensure their kids aren’t exposed to mature content, there are several ways that the ESRB could be informing parents about a game’s contents better. Here’s an in depth look at five ways the rating system for the gaming industry could be modified to adequately inform the consumer if a certain title is too violent, or not violent enough.
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Viva Pinata Party Animals Dated

If you or your child are into piñatas, be sure to check out Viva Pinata: Party Animals which will be released for Xbox 360 on November 16. Developed by Rare, this game is based on the children’s television series as well as the previous game. It is set in an episode of the show. Here’s the deal:

In the game, players star as their favourite candy-filled Piñata from the popular Saturday morning animated series including Franklin Fizzlybear, Hudson Horstachio, Paulie Pretztail, Fergy Fudgehog, and more as they compete for fame and fortune in more than 50 distinct mini-games and races across Piñata Island. “Viva Piñata: Party Animals” features Xbox LIVE and local multi-player contests, like Burps Ahoy!, where colourful Piñatas send burp fuelled sailboats across Lake Piñata! Nothing gets a hungry Piñata’s candiosity up like a sweet, yummy caramel apple! Players bob their way through Caramel Apple Gobble taking big bites out of the fruit, chewing it up as fast as they can to be the first one done. Or they can squeal with delight as they tackle Blown Away - a game of hot potato unlike any other - where they trick their pals into being the one left holding an exploding jack o’ lantern.

As expected, the game will feature multiplayer via Xbox Live for up to four players who can also partake in split-screen multilayer. It is not currently known whether it make use of downloadable content or not.

Have “Intelligent Conversations” About Manhunt 2

Apparently, you can have “intelligent conversations” with your friends about Manhunt 2, according to a statement by Jeronimo Barrera, VP of product development at Rockstar. The game has been part of much drama, as it was given an AO rating in the US while it was outright banned in the UK by the BBFC, who have denied classification to the game even though the company cut it down for a M-rating in North America.

“We are very happy to have the game out, and we feel we kept the original vision and the content and we didn’t neuter the game as people say we have,” Barrera said of the changes, insisting that the story wasn’t changed and that no scenes were removed.

“You know, a lot of people just believe this is a murder simulator and all you do is kill people. But the reality is that there’s a really strong narrative… There are conversations to be had about this game - intelligent conversations,” he added. “That’s what we want to do: get people interested in those [things], rather than ban this game because of X, Y and Z.”

He also referred to the possibility of a multiplayer Manhunt game. “That’s a very interesting question. … Who knows where the Manhunt series is going to go? And that’s definitely something that warrants some exploring on our part for sure.”

The game is already out in the States on PS2, PSP and Wii. It is not known whether the game will be released anytime soon in the UK.

Dead Space Trailer

The first look at Dead Space is now available, showing in-game footage from this upcoming space-based horror game in development at EA’s Redwood Shores Studio. As shown in the video, the game is influenced by Event Horizon, Alien and The Thing, just to name a few.

There are currently some problems with embedding video on the site, so you will need to head to GameTrailers to watch the first-look trailer.

The game is due out on PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime next year.

Wii Zapper Dated for Europe

Next-Generation reports that the Wii Zapper peripheral, which houses the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk when in use, will be released across Europe on December 7. It will come bundled with Link’s Crossbow Training and will include support for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

The peripheral, as reported earlier, is aimed at shooter games, offering gamers easy access to both the trigger button on the Wii Remote and the analog stick on the Nunchuk controller while aiming at the screen. It will retail for an estimated price of £20 / €30 in Europe; those in North America will get it on November 19.

Natasha Henstridge in Kane’s Wrath

As with all its predecessors, the upcoming Kane’s Wrath expansion for Command & Conquer 3 will feature a live-action cast that will feature Natasha Henstridge of Species fame, and Carl Lumbly from Alias. Both actors will be joined by C&C veteran Joe Kucan, who originated the role of Kane. The actors will play characters that are at the epicenter of the game’s story which will span 20 years - from the rebirth of the Brotherhood after the Second Tiberium War through the event of the Third Tiberium War and beyond.

“Natasha and Carl are a perfect fit for the live-action video sequences that will bring our epic story to life,” said Mike Verdu, General Manager of EALA and Executive Producer on Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath. “We had great success with the cast and story for Command & Conquer 3, and I’m very excited to be working with such talented actors on the expansion pack. We’re doing something really unique with the campaign this time around - and I think fans will be thrilled to see how the story unfolds.”

The expansion will introduce six new sub-factions and lots of new units, structures and powers to the GDI, the Brotherhood of Nod and the alien Scrin. It is in development for release during Spring 2008 on PC and Xbox 360.

One Million Resident Evil 4 Units Shipped

The game has already sold a million on the Gamecube and a million on the PS2 - how can one expect it to sell another million on the Wii? Well, Resident Evil 4 is on its way to do just that, as Capcom today announced that the company has shipped over one million units worldwide; each copy is being sold for $29.99.

This brings up the series total to 33 million units as of October 30, and so is valued as one of Capcom’s strongest original intellectual properties. As expected, the Wii version makes use of the console’s motion sensitive controller and some new content.

Capcom is also betting on the popular survival-horror series with new titles including Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. It has also made three hugely successful live-action films made in the Hollywood and is also working in partnership with Sony Pictures to make an animated CG film.

Manhunt 2 Released

The only game to incite a major drama in the UK, as well as the US, Manhunt 2 is now available for players across North America to enjoy. It is now available for the Wii, PS2 and PSP.

“Manhunt 2 has gone through much to reach this day,” said Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited that fans will finally get a chance to experience the magnificent horror experience we’ve crafted with Manhunt 2.”

The sequel revolves around the events of a research project called The Pickman Project. Players are to step into the shoes of a test subject as he makes his way out of the sinister premises.

New Features in College Hoops 2K8

More new features for College Hoops 2K8 were revealed today by 2K Sports. New to this year’s edition of the game is PlayVision, allowing gamers to execute every play on the court to perfection. It draws out each play step-by-step, detailing where on the court to pass, move and watch for a screen. Each step will be illustrated with a different graphic, making plays easy to execute with accuracy and precision. It also works when playing with two or more people on the same team by indicating where the gamers need to set up their players to execute the play.

Another new feature is the Play Designer, allowing gamers to create their own plays from beginning to end and customize their playbook. One can determine where their players begin a play, tell each player what to do using numerous moves and bring in various types of defenses to test the players’ mettle.

College Hoops 2K8 will be released later this Fall on PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Grand Theft Auto IV Box Art Mistake

Earlier we reported that box art for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV had leaked. In fact that’s not the case. What was shipped instead were those damnably teasing mock boxes that retail locations put on the shelves to remind and inform gamers that the title will be out fairly soon. The boxes were sent to XboxFamily.com by someone at Take Two that thought the site was a retail location.

Two New DS Lite Bundles

If Brain Age 2 isn’t your cup of tea, or maybe you just don’t like the look of the Crimson or Onyx DS. Two new DS bundles have been announced. The first is a metallic pink base with a reddish pawprint that comes bundled with Nintendogs: Best Friends Edition, which features the six most popular breeds of dogs from the previous pet simulator games. The second appeals to the more hardcore gamer: it’s a metallic gold with a Triforce design instead of a pawprint. Predictably this DS comes bundled with Phantom Hourglass, the newest of the Legend of Zelda series. Both bundles will be $149.99 each and are available beginning on ‘Black Friday’ (November 23rd this year).

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